GA swimmers ambitious again Eight from the club are going to the national meet, which opens Tuesday in California.

By Ira Josephs INQUIRER SUBURBAN STAFF
Posted: August 12, 2001

What Dick Shoulberg remembers most about previous trips to the U.S. Swimming summer national championships are the illustrious history of the meet and the oppressive heat surrounding it.

Shoulberg, coach of the Germantown Academy Aquatic Club, will take a strong contingent to the national meet again. It starts Tuesday in Clovis, Calif. Again, temperatures are expected to soar past 100 degrees. Times of Shoulberg's swimmers, however, are expected to plummet. The meet runs through Saturday.

The club will be represented by eight swimmers: Kara Boland in the 400- and 800-meter freestyle races, the 400 individual medley, and the 200 butterfly; Fran Crippen in the 400, 800 and 1,500 freestyle races, and perhaps the 200 freestyle and 400 individual medley; Marie Labosky in the 200 and 400 IM; Kerri McIlvain in the 100 and 200 breaststroke races; Meghan Peart in the 50 and 100 freestyle races; Katy Peterson in the 100 and 200 backstroke races; Ryan Smith in the 100 and 200 butterfly races; and Jason Thomas in the 400, 800, and 1,500 freestyle races.

Maddy Crippen, Fran's sister and the sixth-place finisher in the 400 IM at the Sydney Olympics last year, will not make the trip after breaking her jaw in an automobile accident on July 29.

"We feel bad Maddy won't be joining us," Shoulberg said. "But we're glad the accident wasn't worse."

The summer national meet will decide the U.S. team for the Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia, from Aug. 29 to Sept.9. The top two finishers in each event will qualify for the Goodwill Games, for which Shoulberg will serve as head coach of the U.S. women's team.

Of the eight swimmers, Shoulberg said, Fran Crippen has the best chance of joining him in Australia.

Spirit Swimming, of Newtown, will be represented by Tricia Harm in the 200 freestyle, the 200 IM, and the 100 butterfly. She will be joined in the 400 medley relay by Kourtney McMenamin, Lindsey Marck and Sharon Leary, and in the 800 freestyle relay by Marck, Leary and Katie Sibert.

Tracey Hemmerle will represent the Souderton Aquatic Club in the 200 breaststroke.

Ira Josephs' e-mail address is ijosephs@phillynews.com.

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